Argonne Alumni Association
Constitution and By-Laws
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Argonne Alumni Association, herein referred to as A3.
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of A3 is (i) to represent, and advocate for, the interests and benefits of the larger Argonne retiree community and A3 members in relation to the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) administration, the Department of Energy (DOE), and other appropriate parties, (ii) to provide social events, and (iii) to provide a forum for the exchange of information on social and technical issues.
For the purpose of facilitating information exchange among A3 members and between A3 members and ANL staff, such forum shall be provided through: (a) holding informational meetings for the benefit of A3 members, (b) conducting lectures and discussions on scientific and technical topics, (c) making available to ANL staff on a voluntary basis the experience and ‘corporate memory’ of A3 members, and (d) taking collective action or making group-level statements in support of science or related policies, with appropriate caveats if needed.
Article III: Membership and Dues
Membership of A3 shall be open to retired employees, former employees, employees out on long-term disability, and significant others of members and deceased members.
The membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors, and payable in January for the calendar year. If dues are not paid by March 31, membership may be forfeited. Dues shall not be levied on new retirees for the remainder of the year in which they join. Initially, the membership dues shall be $10.00 per annum, beginning calendar year 2017.
Membership shall not be required for attending A3’s social and technical meetings.
Article IV: Officers
Section 1: Election and Terms
The officers of A3 shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. Such officers, and Committee Chairs (defined in Article VI), constitute the Board of Directors, to be referred to as the Board. Additional officers may be appointed by the Board to assist the elected officers in their duties.
The officers of A3 shall serve for terms of two years in length. The President and the Vice-President shall be elected by a hand vote of all members in good standing to take place in December of odd-number years, and shall take office at the first Board meeting in the following year. To be elected, a candidate must receive a plurality of the votes cast for a particular office. In the case of a tie, the winner will be chosen by chance (e.g., by a coin toss or something similar). The Treasurer and the Secretary shall be selected by the Board from volunteers at the December meeting. Each officer shall hold office until his/her successor shall have been duly elected.
Any officer may be removed by the Board or a majority of the membership whenever, in their judgment, the interests of the Association would be best served.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall become the President for the unexpired portion of the President’s term. In the event of a vacancy in another office, the Board shall fill such vacancy.
Section 2: Duties
(A) The President shall be Chair of the Board, and shall exercise general supervision and control over all activities of the Association. The President shall:
– Preside at all meetings of the Board;
– Act as the authorized representative of A3 in all discussions with ANL, DOE, and organizations outside the Association;
– Appoint a person to serve as Secretary at A3 meetings when the elected Secretary is absent;
– Subject to the approval of the Board, appoint special representatives or committees;
– Approve all expenditures in excess of $500; and
– Perform all other duties generally incident to the office of then President or prescribed by the Board.
(B) The Vice President shall:
– Perform the duties of the President in the absence of the latter, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of, and be
subject to all the restrictions upon, the President;
– Assist the President in his duties;
– Be an ex-officio member of all committees and provide liaison between committees and the
Board; and
– Perform such additional duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Board.
(C) The Treasurer shall:
– Maintain an account at such banks as the Board shall direct, and coordinate signature authorization with President;
– Be responsible for the finances of the Association, for maintaining accurate records, and for providing a financial statement at each Board meeting;
– Prepare and submit an annual budget proposal as directed by the Board; and
– Perform all duties generally incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as
may be assigned to the Treasurer by the President or by the Board.
(D) The Secretary shall:
– Have responsibility for all correspondence and for the recording and distribution of the business meeting minutes;
– Prepare agendas for meetings in consultation with the President, and keep the minutes of the Board meetings;
– Be custodian of the Association’s meeting minutes, the names and addresses of all members of the Board, and the A3’s business records.
Article V: Meetings
Regular meetings shall be held on Wednesday, in the third week of each month, except as notified. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President. Notice of such special meetings shall be provided to members on the A3 website, by email, and if time allows, through special mailings, and shall specify the nature of the special business to be conducted at the meeting. All issues put to a vote at any meeting shall be resolved by a simple majority vote of those members present except as provided for elsewhere in the By-Laws.
Article VI: Committees
Members of the various Committees shall be selected by the Board from volunteers at the December meeting, and shall subsequently elect their own Committee Chairs. Each Committee shall consist of no more than five (5) members. The Committee Chairs shall serve on the Board during their terms.
(A) Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall devise and implement strategies for increasing membership and participation, as appropriate/needed, and maintain up-to-date records of the Association’s members and their contact information.
(B) Communications Committee
The Communications Committee shall develop and maintain the A3 Website and Blog, and/or other means of communicating with the membership, and make use of other available communication channels (e.g., at present, this Committee maintains the website http://www.argonnealumniassociation.org).
(C) Social Committee
The Social Committee shall be primarily responsible for planning, including investigating costs and venues, and coordinating social events.
(D) Speakers Committee
The Speakers Committee shall help to provide a forum for the exchange of information on social and technical issues as stated in our Purpose. The Committee shall consist of volunteers to find topics and speakers that are of interest and educational to the membership. The speakers can be A3 members, ANL employees, or from the general public if their topic is suitable or relevant for the A3 membership.
(E) Special Committees
The Board may appoint standing and special committees as and when deemed necessary.
Article VII: Amendments
This Constitution and these By-Laws may be amended at any meeting provided that written notice has been mailed by regular post or electronically to all members in good standing at least one month in advance. Such notice shall include the complete text of the proposed amendment(s) and/or the website where the complete text has been posted and an absentee ballot. Amendments shall require a two-thirds majority vote of those members present and voting at the meeting, together with those members voting by absentee ballot.
Article VIII: Dissolution
Dissolution of A3 shall require a majority vote of the Board at any regular monthly meeting or, if necessary, at a special Board meeting called for that purpose, followed within one week by a mail or email ballot to all members in good standing. The Association shall be dissolved upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the A3 members. Notice of a vote to dissolve shall be given to all members at least thirty (30) days before the meeting at which the vote will be taken, which notice shall include the proposed justification for dissolution.
Adopted September 21, 2016
Argonne Alumni Association 